Tag: Texas Longhorns

With the Big 12 season entering its final week of the regular season, let’s virtually raise a glass to some absent friends. While the last two months produced the same champion as the previous 13 years and the conference again earned hosannas for its competitive depth, there was plenty missing. Each of the 10 teams…

You can ask Charlie Strong if the patience of Texas fans exceeds three seasons. Shaka Smart is fortunate he’s the school’s basketball coach. Year Three of the Smart Era and Longhorns hoops resembles UT football – talented enough to tease but not please (three league losses in OT). Following Monday night’s 74-73 double overtime loss…

Let’s just call it what it will be – Freaky February. The first Saturday of the calendar’s shortest month brought blue-blood losses by Kansas, Duke and Kentucky – all to unranked teams. The last time that happened was Feb. 15, 1969. Add in Arizona’s loss at Washington and it was the first time those four…

Forty years and 1,166 games as a basketball coach can extract a physical toll. As Indiana Jones said, it’s not the years, it’s the mileage. Bob Huggins’ odometer reading led to having right hip replacement surgery in the summer of 2014. It was not the health scare of 2002 when he nearly died from a…

Two weeks from reaching the halfway point of Big 12 play and it’s clear that the competition is as serious as a heart attack. And the games might actually cause some angina. Going into Monday’s games, 15 of 25 Big 12 games had been decided by six or fewer points. Five games had gone overtime…

Since athletic director Danny White announced intentions to raise a championship banner, hold a parade and pay bonuses in recognition of a national championship, UCF has been the talk of the college football world. The attention paid to UCF football has in and of itself made this championship claim a success, even if the current…

The Bluebonnet Bowl used to be a thing, once upon a time, played in Houston. From its inception in 1959, it usually featured a team from the famed-Southwest Conference, up until 1987 when the game was canceled. The committee hoped it would continue on, but it didn't, becoming obsolete a full decade before the closure…

The last time one school had the Heisman Trophy winner and the consensus player of the year in college basketball was Oklahoma in 2008-09. Sam Bradford won the Heisman and Blake Griffin swept the hoops individual trophies. The Sooners are halfway to a repeat. OU senior quarterback Baker Mayfield is the owner of the school’s…

Mike Gundy can breathe easy (I don't know that he had that much trouble with breathing) as Texas punter Michael Dickson was awarded the Ray Guy Award during the College Football Awards ceremony Thursday night. Dickson got the award over last year's winner, Mitch Wishnowsky of Utah, as well as Alabama's JK Scott. Interestingly enough,…

Four out, eight in. The four words can sum up what Iowa State was facing this season. The Cyclones have a school-record streak of six consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances but had to replace four players who helped make that run possible – Monte’ Morris, a four-year starter at point guard; perimeter players Matt Thomas and…

Welcome to The Third Phase! It's all about college football punting and college football punting accessories. Yes, I just did a lame King of the Hill joke. What are you going to do about it? Regardless of what you do, you can view the archives here. The Third Phase Punting Awards Show We did it!…

Conference championship games are more of a recent phenomenon when it comes to the last century-plus of college football. We really didn't start having these games until the '90s. One of those conference championship games that started in the 90s was the Big 12, which came together when the Big Eight decided to bring in…

Speculation and planning have become reality. In an effort to join the club and sit at the adult table, the Big 12 Conference board of directors decided that adding a championship game would improve the odds of making the College Football Playoff. The sting and stink of 2014 has lingered. The Big 12 had TCU…

Just like that, it's another Monday, which means we're ready for another edition of The Third Phase. You're all here because I presume you want to read about punting after eating all of that fancy Thanksgiving food. You can look at previous editions here. Why Should [Finalist Here] Win The Ray Guy Award? Last week,…

I know it's not Monday. Don't panic! This is a special edition of the Third Phase. We're publishing this now so we can get it out there for you the viewing public to enjoy. The Augusta Sports Council announced its 10 semifinalists Thursday for the Ray Guy Award. Yes, we have 10 semifinalists narrowed down…